The Voices of Baseball by Kirk McKnight (2015)

Some young boys dream of hitting a home run in the big game, while others want to tell the world about it. Baseball fans all have their favorite broadcasters, whether they were the radio play-by-play guys or the television color commentators. The Hall of Fame presets the Ford C. Frick Award every year to a broadcaster for his contributions to baseball. The sport depends upon the commentary provided by these men to drive the water cooler conversation the next day and generate interest among young fans.

In The Voices of Baseball, author Kirk McKnight talks to a representative voice of each major league team, and shares their stories and insights on great moments at the team’s current ballpark. After thirty chapters, McKnight shifts focus to the former ballparks, then to the voices that have been silenced by death.

Of special note to this Reds fan, obviously, is the chapter devoted to Great American Ballpark and Marty Brennaman’s recollection of Homer Bailey‘s 2013 no-hitter. In the chapter on defunct stadiums McKnight and Brennaman make mention of the Big Red Machine and the 1990 Wire-to-Wire champs. Then, in the chapter entitled, “A Seance from the Booth,” tribute is paid to the ol’ left-hander Joe Nuxhall, who shared the broadcast booth with Brennaman for 31 years.

The Voices of Baseball is an excellent collection of memories from the men who witnessed history on the diamond. Baseball fans young and old will treasure this book.